"What?" Yang Qi was stunned. Lin Qingxuan had said she'd taken a liking to him?
"Don't get me wrong," Lin Qingxuan said with a smile, winking. "I meant I admire your talents."
Yang Qi felt a pang of disappointment. But of course, how could I be that charming? She's the prized daughter of the Lin Family of Jingzhou, after all. Her status is so high, she's completely out of my league.
"How about this? I'll protect you, and in return, you'll owe me a favor. Deal?" Lin Qingxuan asked with a smile.
"Alright," Yang Qi nodded.
"Hehe, you really are a smart one." Lin Qingxuan immediately summoned four bodyguards.
Just as she was about to leave with Yang Qi, Assistant Qin stopped them. "Miss, the City Lord of Kang City, the Prefecture Master of Jingnan Prefecture, and the Commander of the Jingnan Battle Zone all wish to meet with you to discuss the development plans for Jingnan Prefecture. You have to show them some courtesy, don't you?"
"Call them and tell them I'm hosting a dinner tonight," Lin Qingxuan said after a moment's thought.
"Understood." Assistant Qin glanced at Yang Qi, her expression clouded with displeasure. The Young Miss has postponed several important meetings just for this man. But since Yang Qi had saved her life, the assistant didn't say anything more.
A pink Porsche was parked outside.
"Do you know how to drive?" Lin Qingxuan asked, tossing the keys in her hand.
"I've never driven a sports car this nice," Yang Qi admitted. He had been wealthy before, but never extravagant.
"Then you drive," Lin Qingxuan said, tossing the keys to Yang Qi.
The engine roared to life, its throaty sound thrilling to the core as the car surged forward. Behind them, four bodyguards followed in a Mercedes sedan.
Before long, the Porsche pulled into a parking spot in front of the Li Family's mansion.
"You bought this house?" Lin Qingxuan asked.
"Yes," Yang Qi sighed. "I never thought I'd be kicked out of it. It's embarrassing for you to see this."
"Not at all," Lin Qingxuan said, shaking her head. "I just think Li Qiutong must be blind. Besides, leaving her is a good thing for you. You won't be dragged down by her anymore."
In the living room of the Li Family's mansion, over a dozen family members were gathered. Li Qiutong's mother, Jiang Meiyu, came from a prominent family and had been pampered since birth. She couldn't do any heavy lifting or manual labor. If Li Qiutong hadn't married Yang Qi, this whole family would probably have been starving, especially since Li Qiutong's father was blind and couldn't work at all. Everything in this living room had been bought with Yang Qi's money.
Zhang Peng was also present, with more than a dozen of his bodyguards standing by as the family chattered and laughed. Li Qiutong clung to Zhang Peng's arm, acting with such brazen intimacy even though she and Yang Qi weren't divorced yet.
Jiang Meiyu, his mother-in-law who had never once brought him so much as a glass of water, was now fawning over Zhang Peng like a lapdog, pouring him water and peeling fruit.
Seeing this, Yang Qi didn't feel anger, but a deep, bone-chilling cold. It's true. Just because you're good to people doesn't mean you'll win their hearts. Maybe Lin Qingxuan was right. Getting out of this sooner rather than later might not be a bad thing at all.
"Hm?" Li Qiutong turned her head. When she saw Lin Qingxuan, her expression instantly turned foul. I can't let Yang Qi have a better life than me.
"Who's this girl? Is she blind or something, getting involved with the likes of you?"
Even though Li Qiutong clearly despised Yang Qi, she still saw him as her property, unwilling to let anyone else have him. She would rather destroy him. If she couldn't have him, no one could—especially since she knew what he was capable of.
CLANG!
The cup in Zhang Peng's hand fell to the floor, splashing hot water onto his pant leg. The water was quite hot, yet he didn't seem to feel a thing. He just stared dumbly at Lin Qingxuan, drool practically leaking from the corner of his mouth.
He was suddenly filled with regret. He used to think Li Qiutong was the pinnacle of beauty, but one look at Lin Qingxuan made Li Qiutong seem like a filthy, worn-out rag in comparison.
So beautiful! So ethereal and refined! I've seen many beautiful women, but never one like this. Her aura is especially captivating. Any man would feel proud just to stand next to her. What a status symbol she would be!
For reasons she herself didn't understand, Lin Qingxuan suddenly linked her arm with Yang Qi's. He, just as naturally, didn't pull away. The memory of the previous night made him feel a strange sensation.
"I think Yang Qi is the best man in this world," Lin Qingxuan said. "Perhaps you're the one who's blind."
Seeing this, Zhang Peng was practically seething with jealousy.
"You little bitch! You're doing this just to piss me off, aren't you?" Li Qiutong roared. "What is there to like about a piece of trash like him? Besides, he's a useless good-for-nothing now!"
"I'm merely stating the facts," Lin Qingxuan said with a smile. "Why do you want him dead? Isn't it because you're afraid he'll make a comeback and get his revenge on you? Deep down, you know very well how capable he is. Isn't that right?"
"No, no, no!" Li Qiutong shrieked, infuriated that Lin Qingxuan had hit the nail right on the head.
She had abandoned Yang Qi to latch onto Zhang Peng simply for fast money, believing her youth was priceless. Yet she also knew that Yang Qi was a formidable person who was destined for future success, perhaps even enough to surpass the Zhang Family. That was precisely why she wanted him dead. Things, however, hadn't gone according to her plan.
"You don't seem like an ordinary woman," Zhang Peng suddenly interjected. "You can't possibly have taken a liking to a good-for-nothing like Yang Qi. Are you helping him out of pity?"
Lin Qingxuan smiled. "You're wrong. I'm not helping him out of pity; I'm investing in his talent. If you truly think he's useless, why did you frame him and steal his technology?"
"You!" Zhang Peng frowned. "Miss, you should watch what you say. Everyone in Kang City knows he's the one who plagiarized, the fraud! If you're looking for a partner, you should work with me. Our Zhang Family is very influential in Kang City. Our main business is pharmaceutical research and sales!"
"What a coincidence. Part of the business I'm currently managing happens to be in pharmaceuticals as well," Lin Qingxuan said with a smile.
"Really?" Zhang Peng's eyes lit up with excitement. "Miss, you should partner with us! The Zhang Family recently made contact with the Lin Family of Jingzhou. We've earned their recognition and are preparing to collaborate on a pharmaceutical venture. If you... can satisfy me, I can certainly give you a leg up."
His proposition was shockingly blunt, clearly expecting her to trade her body for a business opportunity. He assumed she wouldn't refuse. After all, the chance to work with the Lin Family of Jingzhou was an opportunity countless people only dreamed of.
What he didn't know was that the woman standing before him was the young lady of the Lin Family of Jingzhou herself.
Lin Qingxuan smiled meaningfully. "The Zhang Family of Kang City, is it? I understand completely."
Hearing this, Zhang Peng grew excited. He mistakenly believed he had a chance, assuming Lin Qingxuan was tempted. After all, few could remain indifferent to such an offer.
"Let's add each other on WeChat, Miss," Zhang Peng said, taking out his phone.